Hearty, sliceable chili-bake with tender kidney beans and lentils, browned beef, and a cheesy egg-set top for rich, smoky comfort. Serve hot and garnished with fresh cilantro and your favorite toppings.
Sliceable Chili-Bake for a Crowd
A hearty, budget-friendly casserole that stretches ground beef with beans and lentils and finishes with a custardy, cheesy egg top for easy slicing and serving.
This dish lives between a saucy chili and a cozy casserole: browned ground beef folded with tender kidney beans, red lentils and a tomato-forward, smoky-spiced base, all finished under an egg-and-cheese set that turns it into neat, server-friendly squares. The result is rich and smoky comfort — spoonable when warm but sturdy enough to slice, perfect for passing around at a casual dinner or potluck.
It’s designed to solve the usual weeknight trade-offs: plenty of protein and flavor without blowing the grocery budget. Dried red lentils plump in the tomato-broth base and bulk up the filling so a little ground beef goes a long way; canned tomatoes, tomato paste and pantry spices do the heavy lifting on depth and heat. Browning the meat first and briefly blooming the chili, cumin and smoked paprika in the pan creates that toasty, savory backbone you want in a chili bake.
Texture is the appeal: a saucy, bean-rich bottom layer punctuated by the creamy, golden egg-cheese top that adds richness and makes clean slices possible. Finish each square with bright cilantro and your favorite toppings — a dollop of sour cream, diced avocado, pickled onion or crunchy tortilla strips all play nicely and add contrast.
Practicalities: this bakes comfortably at 375°F and is forgiving if made ahead — assemble, chill and bake when you need it, or reheat slices for simple lunches. Use a 9×9‑inch dish for the proportions given, scale up for a crowd, and don’t forget that draining excess fat after browning keeps the tomato-lentil base from getting greasy.
Ingredients
How to Make Crowd Feed Kidney Bean Chili Bake
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil a 9x9-inch or similar baking dish.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef, breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes; drain excess fat if desired.
- Add chopped onion and diced red pepper to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, then stir in minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and tomato paste and cook 1 minute to bloom the spices, then add diced tomatoes, beef broth and dried red lentils; bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially, and simmer gently until lentils are tender, about 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally; if liquid is absorbed too quickly add up to 1/4 cup water.
- Meanwhile, drain and rinse the kidney beans and fold them into the skillet once the lentils are tender; taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Remove the skillet from heat and temper the eggs by whisking them in a bowl, then stir 2–3 tablespoons of the hot chili into the eggs, and quickly mix the tempered eggs back into the chili to help bind the mixture.
- Transfer the chili mixture to the prepared baking dish, smooth the top, sprinkle evenly with shredded cheddar, and bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and the bake is set in the center, about 18–25 minutes.
- Let rest 5 minutes, then garnish with chopped cilantro, slice into 4 portions, and serve hot with optional toppings like sour cream, green onions or tortilla chips.
Recipe Card
Crowd Feed Kidney Bean Chili Bake
Hearty, sliceable chili-bake with tender kidney beans and lentils, browned beef, and a cheesy egg-set top for rich, smoky comfort. Serve hot and garnished with fresh cilantro and your favorite toppings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil a 9x9-inch or similar baking dish.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef, breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes; drain excess fat if desired.
- Add chopped onion and diced red pepper to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, then stir in minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and tomato paste and cook 1 minute to bloom the spices, then add diced tomatoes, beef broth and dried red lentils; bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially, and simmer gently until lentils are tender, about 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally; if liquid is absorbed too quickly add up to 1/4 cup water.
- Meanwhile, drain and rinse the kidney beans and fold them into the skillet once the lentils are tender; taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Remove the skillet from heat and temper the eggs by whisking them in a bowl, then stir 2–3 tablespoons of the hot chili into the eggs, and quickly mix the tempered eggs back into the chili to help bind the mixture.
- Transfer the chili mixture to the prepared baking dish, smooth the top, sprinkle evenly with shredded cheddar, and bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and the bake is set in the center, about 18–25 minutes.
- Let rest 5 minutes, then garnish with chopped cilantro, slice into 4 portions, and serve hot with optional toppings like sour cream, green onions or tortilla chips.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 39
- Saturated Fat
- 16
- Sodium
- 980
- Fiber
- 16
- Unsaturated Fat
- 22
- Protein
- 53
- Fat
- 38
- Cholesterol
- 214
- Trans Fat
- 0.5
- Calories
- 695
- Sugar
- 4.5